Section 46: Capturing the Jade Scholar
By: Gu Zhenren
Author: Gu Zhenren
As this voice sounded, three figures flew over from a distance.
Among them was a man with a feather fan and a silk scarf, his teeth white, and his face handsome and fair. He wore a scholar’s robe of plain white, the hem of which billowed in the wind.
He held a folding fan in one hand, soaring through the clouds, fanning himself as he came, his expression uplifting and full of spirit.
But to everyone’s surprise, he was wearing a pair of tattered straw sandals on his feet. They didn’t match his attire at all.
Seeing Chu Yun’s gaze fixed on his feet, the Jade Scholar’s smile faltered, and he seemed displeased.
“Brat, didn’t you hear me? Look up and face me.” He spoke from above, looking down at Chu Yun. Two women were by his side, adorned like flowers. One nestled beside him, while the other held his arm, acting like a dependent bird.
Chu Yun swept his gaze over them and knew that these two women were not human but transformations of demonic creatures. In other words, they were two Spirit Monsters. However, his attention was more focused on the Jade Scholar’s feet.
The Jade Scholar, disregarding his image, wore these straw sandals, which naturally made him stand out.
“These are Swift Grass Shoes. Along with Sect Master Hua Mei’s ‘Footprints in Snow’ boots, they are ranked second among the Ten Great Footwear of Xingzhou, very famous,” Chu Yun mused inwardly, recognizing the origin of the shoes.
He unhurriedly raised his head and said in a deep voice, “Jade Scholar, do you know the origin of my Demonic Beast? Spirit Snake… is that its name?”
“Hmph,” the Jade Scholar raised an eyebrow, his expression darkening. “Brat, you talk too much. I have no obligation to tell you these secrets. Why don’t you hand this Demonic Beast over to me? I am a prince of the Jianghan Kingdom and can give you a large sum of wealth.”
His tone was condescending, and he looked at Chu Yun with disdain. In his eyes, Chu Yun was a lowly peasant from a mountain village. In the Yao Shan Kingdom, there were many youngsters like him. The trend of trekking and cultivating in the mountains had become prevalent since the era of the Ten Thousand Beasts King.
“Is the cultivation path of the Ten Thousand Beasts King something you can learn just by following the trend? Are King-level experts so cheap? What’s the use of you people blindly worshipping and pretending? Unless the Ten Thousand Beasts King himself were to come back and guide you, it would be useless. I’ve seen many people like you on my journey.” The Jade Scholar snapped his fan shut. He pointed the tip of the fan at Chu Yun and spoke in a lecturing tone.
“Heh.” Chu Yun chuckled, his voice steady and undisturbed. “What does me pretending have to do with you? What does it matter to me whether you’re a prince or not? Since you don’t want to say, then forget it…”
“How can we forget it?” The Jade Scholar’s voice suddenly rose, interrupting Chu Yun. A sinister glint flashed in his eyes as he pointed at Chu Yun, “I see you’ve fallen into a misunderstanding, and I’m kindly offering guidance, yet you’re ungrateful? You’re in the mountains and unaware. Go out and ask about the reputation of Jade Scholar. My experience is never wrong. Now, as a reward, give me the Spirit Snake. Such a Supreme grade Demonic Beast is a waste in your hands!”
“What if I refuse?” Chu Yun’s tone turned cold.
“Ungrateful wretch. My master’s intentions are sincere, and you don’t appreciate it?” one of the female Spirit Monsters beside the Jade Scholar said with sharp, acrimonious sarcasm.
“Hmph, your judgment is truly poor. You can’t even see our true identities. We sisters are not human, but Spirit Monsters. Do you understand Spirit Monsters?” the other female Spirit Monster looked at Chu Yun with disdain.
“No need to say more, my patience has run out. You two attack together, kill this brat, and take the Spirit Snake!” The Jade Scholar frowned and retched, looking back.
His purpose this trip was to challenge the academies in the Yao Shan Kingdom. However, the challenge involved venturing deep into the mountains for a hunt. What he hadn’t expected was to be caught in the ripple effects of the Spirit Snake’s Demonic Tribulation along the way.
Enraged by the unwarranted disaster, he suddenly became ecstatic. He recalled that in the royal library of the Jianghan Kingdom, there were records related to this. This was the Illusory Heart Tribulation, specifically designed to deal with peculiar Demonic Beasts like the Spirit Snake.
“The value of the Spirit Snake is unparalleled. If I obtain it, becoming King level will be a matter of time. This is truly a great fortunate encounter! I must kill this savage quickly and then seize the time to hunt. I will also challenge the Yao Shan Academy!” the Jade Scholar roared inwardly. He looked at the two women and pounced, as if already seeing the bloody scene that would unfold, feeling immense satisfaction.
*Boom! Boom!*
Two loud noises, followed by surging waves of energy. His two Spirit Monsters were caught off guard and were sent flying back.
“Uh, what’s going on?” The Jade Scholar’s expression changed drastically. He was stunned to see a circle of Spirit Monsters suddenly appear beside Chu Yun.
One, two, three, four, five, six… six Spirit Monsters!
“Bad, I’ve kicked an iron plate!” The cruel reality hit his heart like a heavy hammer. His heart constricted, his face paled, and as he retreated, he cried out, “Senior, please forgive me! This junior has eyes but failed to recognize Mount Tai. I beg of you…”
Before he could finish speaking, he saw Chu Yun’s expressionless face and the index finger he extended coldly towards him. The six Spirit Monsters, like wolves and tigers, surged forward, attacking him.
The momentum was so fierce that the Jade Scholar felt like a small sampan tossed in raging waves.
His face turned ashen, and he felt a deep sense of powerlessness.
“Damn it, I misjudged!” In his desperation, the Jade Scholar tore off the jade pendant at his waist and threw it forward.
This was the Gentleman Pendant, also at the Spirit Monster level, his defensive demonic artifact. Flying into the air, the pendant erupted with brilliant green light, dazzling the eyes. The green light condensed into a tangible, enlarged jade brick, blocking in front of the Jade Scholar.
The Sky Fox let out a disdainful cold sneer, opened its mouth, and spat out a world-destroying red lotus.
The red lotus traced a beautiful arc in the air, like a shooting star chasing the moon, and slammed into the jade brick.
With a loud explosion, fierce blasts, surging energy, and roaring flames, the jade brick was instantly shattered, and the Gentleman Pendant was sent flying to the side.
“Supreme grade Dao method?” The Jade Scholar’s face grew even more alarmed, but facing a life-or-death situation, he could only grit his teeth and endure.
The two female Spirit Monsters no longer had any trace of playfulness or disdain. Their expressions were as cold as frost, and they transformed into light, returning to the Jade Scholar’s hands.
One of the Spirit Monsters transformed into its original form, a jade seal, which the Jade Scholar placed on top of his head.
The other Spirit Monster transformed into a scroll painting, which the Jade Scholar held in his hand.
“It’s not that easy to kill me! Myriad Rivers Scroll!” he shouted, unrolling the scroll with a swish.
The scroll depicted a majestic river flowing into the sea, with crashing waves. It now emerged from the scroll, forming towering waves that rushed forward.
“Mysterious Peak Fan!” the Jade Scholar shouted again, unfolding the fan in his hand and fanning it fiercely.
The fan was painted with rolling green mountains. A peak now flew out, seeming to form into a solid entity, casting a vast shadow on the ground. With a tremendous roar, it crashed down towards Chu Yun.
“You’ve got some skill,” Chu Yun said calmly, taking out the Azure Sea Rising Flute. This flute now had over nine hundred years of cultivation, just a step away from the Spirit Monster level.
He brought it to his lips and played it in the wind. The Sky Fox and the other six Spirit Monsters instantly formed a unified formation. The combined power of the six demons unleashed a formidable offensive.
The Lishan Dragon’s eye-like branches shot out dazzling lights, the Sky Fox wielded countless miscellaneous Dao methods, the Circulating Pill Tree’s leaves spun like blades, the Drunken Snow Saber’s wind was chilling to the bone, the Hurricane Bow’s arrows flew like meteors striking the sun, and the colorless Rainbow Demon’s attacks were hidden and unpredictable.
*Boom! Boom! Boom!*
Amidst the surging firepower, the Jade Scholar’s river and mountain were directly blasted into pieces, disintegrating completely.
“This is the Sound Control Sect, and a Demonic Beast Battle Formation!” the Jade Scholar trembled, feeling the already immense pressure multiply several times.
Rings of light shot out, and strange lights crisscrossed. The six demons formed a net, unleashing dazzling brilliance that shot towards the sky, relentlessly suppressing the Jade Scholar.
“Senior, I was wrong, I was truly wrong. Please, for the sake of the Jianghan Kingdom, spare this junior!” The Jade Scholar resisted with all his might. The jade seal on his head was extraordinary, emitting countless streams of pure jade light, thick with green aura.
The jade light not only provided defense but also had healing properties, transforming into surging demonic energy that continuously replenished the Mysterious Peak Fan, Myriad Rivers Scroll, Gentleman Pendant, and Swift Grass Shoes.
Chu Yun’s expression was indifferent, completely ignoring the Jade Scholar’s pleas for mercy. He had been diligently practicing his music and studying the Eight Trigrams Battle Formation, and he was in need of a sparring partner. Now that the Jade Scholar had come to him, it was perfect.
The more he fought, the more skilled he became, and the stronger the battle formation grew. The Jade Scholar, battered and bruised, felt the pressure intensifying. He had initially been shouting for mercy, but soon he could only defend, with no energy left to cry out.
An hour later, Chu Yun, feeling that he had mastered the Eight Trigrams Battle Formation, suddenly raised his tone and unleashed his full power.
With a bang, the Myriad Rivers Scroll could no longer withstand the onslaught and was engulfed by the surging firepower, exploding into a Demonic Crystal and falling to the ground.
“Ah! My Myriad Rivers Scroll!” The Jade Scholar cried out in extreme agony.
*Bang.*
Another sound, and his Gentleman Pendant also exploded.
“Gentleman Pendant!” The Jade Scholar’s eyes widened, his heart aching as if it would bleed.
*Bang.*
And again, his Mysterious Peak Fan could not be saved and was completely destroyed. The colorless Rainbow Demon darted in, immediately capturing him. Then, the Sky Fox and the others attacked in unison, firmly suppressing him and bringing him before Chu Yun.
“Kneel!” The Drunken Snow Saber slammed down, forcing the Jade Scholar to his knees.
“My Spirit Monsters! Do you know how much effort I poured into these three Spirit Monsters? You, I have an irreconcilable hatred with you!” The Jade Scholar knelt on the ground, covered in blood, his body trembling with grief. He roared at Chu Yun.
“You’re uncooperative.” Chu Yun snorted coldly. With a thought, the Drunken Snow Saber’s face turned ruthless, and its fingers squeezed like kneading dough.
“Ah—!” The Jade Scholar let out an extremely piercing scream, his right shoulder completely crushed, revealing bone fragments and spewing blood.
“You can’t kill me! You can’t kill me! I am a prince of the Jianghan Kingdom. Do you want to provoke a war between the Jianghan Kingdom and the Yao Shan Kingdom?” the Jade Scholar shouted in panic. His once elegant demeanor was gone, his body covered in blood and grime. He gritted his teeth in pain, his face contorted.
“I don’t intend to kill you. Tell me the secret of the Spirit Snake, and I’ll let you go,” Chu Yun said.
“Alright, alright. I’ll tell you everything I know, Senior!” Seeing a glimmer of hope for survival, the Jade Scholar nodded incessantly, revealing everything he knew.
Upon hearing this, Chu Yun’s voice trembled slightly, “What? You mean this Spirit Snake can absorb others’ Spirit, and feed it back to the owner?”
